Minister of Planning Announces Drop in Poverty Rate in Iraq

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Federal Minister of Planning Mohammed Ali Tamim.

On Wednesday, Federal Minister of Planning Mohammed Ali Tamim announced a decline in Iraq’s poverty rate to 10.8% between 2018 and 2024, according to the findings of the newly launched National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI). The report encompasses all governorates, including those within the Kurdistan Region.

Speaking at the official launch of the NMPI, Minister Tamim stated that although the poverty index in Iraq had dropped to 17.5%, down from over 20% in previous years, efforts to study poverty remain essential. He emphasised that the government not only aims to improve income levels for individuals and families but is also committed to addressing deeper developmental challenges that affect education, health, and access to essential services.

“The government views poverty alleviation as a central pillar of its programme,” he said, “and we are working to build balanced policies that ensure Iraqis enjoy quality education, decent living conditions, and protection from deprivation across key dimensions.”

Minister Tamim underscored Iraq’s commitment to using objective, multidimensional digital indicators, aligning with international standards for rights-based assessments. He explained that the Ministry of Planning had partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) to produce this national report, using updated data from the Iraqi Household Socio-Economic Survey. The indicators derived from this survey were crucial to constructing the new poverty index at both the national and governorate levels.

The report, he added, will help directly identify basic needs and track progress within each governorate, based on regional and sectoral priorities. While the multidimensional poverty index declined slightly—from 11.4% in 2018 to 10.8% in 2024—Tamim reaffirmed the government’s intention to continue lowering this figure through targeted policies.

In a pioneering step, Tamim revealed that Iraq would soon launch the world’s first Multidimensional Women’s Poverty Index, reflecting the government’s drive to improve the conditions of Iraqi women in health, education, and economic participation. He also noted Iraq’s leading position in developing a Multidimensional Child Poverty Index, having released its first report in 2022, with another planned for 2026, following the completion of the seventh round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).

The Minister extended his gratitude to the national institutions involved in the reports, including the Central Statistical Organisation, Geographic Information Systems, and the Kurdistan Regional Statistics Authority, for their contribution to providing critical data supporting Iraq’s development agenda. He also thanked the UNDP Iraq office, its regional branch, and the OPHI team for their support in ensuring the reports adhered to internationally recognised technical standards for measuring multidimensional poverty.



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